Suction cleaner for bag printing machines



March 28,1939. H ARLL 2,152,027

SUCTION CLEANER FOR BAG PRlNTING MACHINES Filed July 26, 1957- 2Sheets-Sheet. l

www ATTORNEY March 28, 1939. l H CARLL 2,152,027

SUCTION CLEANER FOR BAG PRlNTNG MACHlNES Filed Julyzs, 1957` 2shams-shew 2 BY 5 `4Q M Y @Mw-w l ATTORNEY Patented Mar., 28, 1939SUCTION CLEANER FOR BAG PRENTING MACHHNES Harry Carll, Tacoma, Wash.Application July 26, 1937, Serial No. 155,713

2 Claims.

whereby loose lint, fibers, dust, dirt and parti- I cles or pieces ofother loose material may be removed from the surfaces of the bags onwhich the printing is to be done, thus to eliminate its collecting onthe surfaces of the` printing plate and inking rollers.

As a matter of explanation, it will here be stated that in the ordinaryuse of machines of this character, there is considerable delaynecessitated, anddifliculty experienced, by reason of the fact that thetype'on the plate and'inking rollers pick up much loose material fromthe bags with which they come in Contact, and the material that ispicked up eventually clogs the type to the extent that the machine mustbe stopped and the type cleaned. This is a very frequent occurrence andis objectionable because of delay and expense incident to delay. It isin order to avoid this objectionable feature of cleaning the printingtype and inking roller that the present invention has been devised.However, it is not intended that the invention shall be confined to themachine shown, but shall apply to all types within the scope of theinvention disclosed.

More specifically stated, it is the object of the present invention toprovide a suction shoe that is operable in connection with the feeddevices of the bag printing machine to Contact with each bag as itenters the machine and to remove from the surface that is to be printedon, by suction, the loose bers of material, dust and dirt which would bedetrimental to obtaining the best results of printing.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction andin the combination of parts of the device, and in the mode of operation,as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a bag, or sack printing machine to which the presentinvention has been applied.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail of a part of the machine showing thesuction shoe as applied, and

illustrating its relationship to the bag feed belt 5 and the printingroller.

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the suction device and the adjacentpart of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same.

Before vgiving a further explanation of the drawings, it will bementioned that the details of construction of the machine to which thesuction shoe is here shown applied are of no particular consequence, butthat the present illustration, which is of a machine quite well known, 5

is used only because it well shows the use and operation of the suctionshoe. It is intended that this shoe may be applied to printing machinesof other kinds, either with or without 20 alteration.

Referring more in detail to the drawingsl designates, in its entirety, abag printing machine of a type with which the present device is adaptedto be associated. The printing machine comprises a frame structure 2mounting a pair of horizontal rollers 3 and l supported in spacedrelation by cross shafts 3a and da, respectively. Mounted for travelabout the rollers 3 and 4, and held taut thereby, is a continuous feedbelt 5 upon which the sacks or bags to be 30 printed may be fed beneatha printing roller 6 to receive the printing thereon.

The printing roller as here seen, is of substantial diameterand ismounted in the frame structure 2 by a horizontal supporting and driv- 35ing shaft l. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that theshaft 'l is directly above the shaft 3a, and is so spaced from roller 3that the pressure necessary for printing is received directly by theroller 3 which serves not only as 4 a support and driving means for thebelt 5, but also serves as a backing for the printing operation on thesacks as they are delivered over the roller by the feed belt.

As the printed sacks are discharged from be- 4 tween the belt 5 and theprinting roller 5, they are received upon a downwardly inclined stackingboard il, which is fixed at its lower end to a cross shaft lll. Thisshaft is rotatably supported in the frame 2 and at one end, is equippedwith 50 not thought necessary to explain it to any further extent.

Pivotally attached to the frame 2, to extend along opposite sides of thebelt 5, are paired 1ever arm I 3-I3 which, at their outer ends, mount across shaft I5 on which rollers IG--IG are mounted to engage in rollingcontact with the feed belt 5 directly above or adjacent the cross roller4. The sacks or bags that are to be printed are manually fed to the belt5 for advancement into the machine by the belt, by inserting theirforward end portions between the belt and the roller I5, and in orderthat they may be easily inserted and properly timed in their delivery tothe printing roller, provision is made for periodically raising therollers IE-IB a slight distance above the belt. This operation ofraising and lowering the rollers is in timing with the rotation of theprinting roller and is effected by paired cams I8 that are fixed on thecross shaft 1 adjacent the opposite ends of the printing roller andwhich are adapted, with each rotation of the shaft 1, to contact withcam followers I9'on the inner ends of the lever arms |3-I3 in suchmanner as to cause the outer ends of the levers to lift the rollersIS--IS from contact with the belt 5. It is to be understood that whenthe rollers I 8-I6' are lifted, the end of a sack may then be projectedbeneath them. Then, when the rollers Iii-I6' are dropped downwardlyagainst the inserted sack end, the friction of the belt 5 with the sackcarries the latter along the belt to the printing roll, and the label,trade-mark, brand or other matter will be printed on the sack as it iscarried by the belt between the printing roll 6 and. the roller 3. 'I'hetype whereby the printing is accomplished may be of metal, wood orrubber, and may be applied to the roller 6 in any suitable manner. Sincethis is not a part of the present invention, it is not believednecessary to explain it to any further extent. Likewise, inking of theprinting type is effected in the conventional manner through the mediacyof ink applying rolls, as designated at 20" in Fig. 2, which are locatedabove the rollers 6.

In the present showing, the machine is driven by an electric motor 25which is mounted upon the top of the frame 2. This motor has a beltwheel 26 on its driven shaft about which a belt 21 operates to drive alarge belt wheel28 that is fixed on a supporting shaft 29 mounted forrotation in the lower portion of the frame 2. On the shaft 29 a beltwheel 3U is fixed, about which wheel a belt 3I operates to drive a beltwheel 32 xed on a cross shaft 33. Shaft 33 has a geared connection as at34-35 and 36, with the shaft 1, and also at 31 with shaft 3a to drivethe roller 3 and belt 5.

'Ihe gist of the present invention resides in the provision of means forremoving the lint and dust from the surfaces of the sacks on which theprinting is to be done, and this means comprises a hollow suction head40 of substantial volume and provided with a narrow, elongated mouth 4|disposed transversely of and closely adjacent the belt 5 along the topof the belt mounting roller 4. The mouth 4I is of such length from endto end that it will extend across the sack or at least across thesurface which is to receive the printing matter. The shoe itself ishollow and of substantial volume and has a pipe connection 45 leadingcentrally from the top thereof inwardly over the belt 5, and thenlaterally as designated at 45a, and is provided at the side of themachine with a rearwardly turned part 45h connected through a flexibleconnection 41 with a pipe 48 leading to a source of suction. The shoe 40is supported on shaft I5 to raise and lower with the feed rolls IB-I 6.The suction pipe 45 also is fixed to one of the lever arms, I3', as willbe noted by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, to move therewith. The manner ofmounting the shoe provides that it will raise and lower with the feedrollers IG-I 6 and when the latter move down against a sack for thepurpose of causing it to be fed into the machine, the mouth of thesuction show will be moved against the top surface of the sack and thesuction applied through the mouth of the shoe will operate after thefashion of the ordinary suction carpet sweeper, to remove the dirt,dust, and lint from the sack. It is important in this respect that thesuction shoe shall raise and lower with the feed rolls so as not tointerfere with the feeding of the sacks into the machine.

Any suitable flexible connection other than that shown may be providedbetween the source of suction and the suction shoe, and the shoe mightwell be mounted in other ways than that shown.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, and applied to the machine, asshown, it is quite apparent that, assuming that the suction is adequate,all the detrimental foreign matter may be removed from the sack and thiswill result not only in cleaner and more satisfactory application of thelabel or printing to the sack surface, but will make it unnecessary toclean the type during the ordinary period of printing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a bag printing machine, aprinting roller, a traveling carrier on which bags may be placed flatlyfor delivery to the printing roller, feed rollers arranged above thecarrier means for raising and lowering the feed rollers from and towardthe carrier for reception and for feeding of the bags into the machine,a suction shoe connected with a source of suction and having a mouthpositioned for the passing of the bags thereacross in their delivery tothe printing roller and means for raising and lowering the shoe from andtoward the carrier in accordance with raising and lowering of the feedrollers.

2. In a bag printing machine of the character described, a rotatingprinting roller, belt mounting rollers, a belt mounted for travel aboutsaid rollers and' upon which bags may be carried flatly to the printingroller, means for driving the belt and the printing roller, feed rollersassociated with the belt, means mounting said feed rollers and actuatedin timing with the rotation of the printing roller to raise and lowerthem against the belt, and a suction shoe mounted by the feed rollermounting means to raise and lower the shoe accordingly from and againstthe belt; said shoe having a mouth across which bags are delivered bythe belt to the printing roller.

HARRY CARLI...

